Veggie Burger Basics

In many ways, veggie burgers are a simple endeavor: Take beans, grains, tofu, a vegetable—or a combination thereof—and, using binders and starches and complementary flavors, make the mixture malleable and form it into patties. The trick is to get the balance right. Too many bread crumbs, for example, will wash out the flavor; too few and you run the risk of the burger squeezing out the other end of the bun when you bite into it. The recipes in this book will produce a flavorful burger that will hold its shape. In this chapter I’ll expand on a few of the principles behind the recipes.